Shaming the Shameless Apologists of
Islam (I): Apostasy in Islam

by Ibrahim Lone

24 Dec, 2008

Secret Iranian execution: Iran
legislated
death for apostasy

We at Islam-watch have taken it upon ourselves to reveal the
truth about Islam to Non-Muslims as well as those Muslims who are
mistaken about their religious beliefs. Yet we find countless
apologists in the face of massive evidences to deny bare facts
about Islam which have been recorded in the countess traditions of
Islam. These traditions come to us mostly from the Authentic
sources which were reported by either the Prophet Muhammad, the
Sahabas (Muhammad's companions) etc. For any Muslim to deny
these sources is the equivalent of denying Islam. Hence I address
this series of articles to shaming those shameless apologists who
love telling lies while they reveal their real intents.

Today we shall be discussing Apostasy in Islam in depth. We shall
be seeing the Fatwas by various schools of thought both Sunni as
well as Shia.

What does Apostasy mean in Islam?

Apostasy is commonly defined as the rejection of Islam in word or
deed by a person who has ever been a Muslim. This includes those
born into Islam as well as those who are converts. There are no
exceptions at all.

The four major Sunni Madh’hab (schools of Islamic Jurisprudence)
and the Twelve Shi’a Jafari Madh’hab agree that any sane adult male
apostate must be executed. However they differ on the punishment for
a female apostate-while some schools call for death, there are
others which call for imprisonment. The jurist Al-Shafi’i , after
whom the Shfi’i sect was formed, interpreted Qu'ranic verse 2:217 as
providing the main evidence for apostasy being a capital crime in
Islam.

A minority of medieval Islamic jurists, such as Hanafi jurist
Saakshi, Maliki jurist Abu al-walid Al-Baji and Ibn Taymiyya And the
Shi’a Grand Ayotollah Hoseein-Ali Motantazi Argued that issuing
fatwas issued for the purpose of the execution of Apostates was not
valid. However these opinions are in a negligible minority.

What constitutes apostasy in Islam?

Apostasy is not a small issue in Islam. Over the years Islamic
Jurisprudents developed a system to identify an Apostate. Let us go
through the various conditions which render a person as an Apostate.

Regarding monotheism and polytheism

A public declaration or
conduct that denies Islam, its beliefs, symbols or its principal
actors such as statements as "I believe in gods other than Allah",
or "God has a material form."

Worshiping an idol

Trinity: Saying that
God is three in One; God the Father, God the Son, Holy Spirit, or
Al lat, Al'Uzza and Manat (known as the daughters of Allah to the
pre-Islamic Arabs). In Islam, God does not beget nor is He
begotten (Al-Ikhas) and He alone has the right to be worshiped (Surah
Al-Fatihah).

Denying the existence
of of God or in simple words, Atheism, Agnosticism, etc.

Saying the world has
always existed from eternity, in such a way that it denies the
existence of God as a creator

Saying that the world
is everlasting and without end, in such a way that it could be
interpreted as a denial of resurrection.

Regarding prophethood of Muhammad

Rejecting Muhammad’s
claim to be a prophet, or denying the concept of prophethood.

Implying that one can
become a prophet through spiritual exercise, since that would
imply the possibility of a prophet after Muhammad.

Saying that there were
prophets after Muhammad.

Regarding beliefs

Any clearly blasphemous
action, such as burning the Qur’an out of contempt, and every
manner of soiling it out of contempt or hatred. The same may also
apply to the Hadiths books.

Contradicting the
positions that are upheld by a consensus (ijima) of Muslim
scholars (Ulema), such as saying that prayers or fasting are not
obligatory, or that the prohibition of adultery does not have to
be followed. Not following these doctrines does not make one an
apostate, but saying they need not be followed does.

In Islamic society apostasy must be determined by the testimony
of two adult Muslim witnesses, who must be free men and not slaves.
Also, any death penalty case has to be determined by the testimony
of four adult Muslim witnesses, in respectable standing, whose
accounts agree, for the execution to occur.

References from Islamic Scriptures and Traditions with regards
to Apostasy

Qur'anic references

Let us see what the Qur’an has to say for Apostates from Islam

003.072
YUSUFALI: A section of the People of the Book say: "Believe in the
morning what is revealed to the believers, but reject it at the
end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) Turn back;
PICKTHAL: And a party of the People of the Scripture say: Believe
in that which hath been revealed unto those who believe at the
opening of the day, and disbelieve at the end thereof, in order
that they may return;
SHAKIR: And a party of the followers of the Book say: Avow belief
in that which has been revealed to those who believe, in the first
part of the day, and disbelieve at the end of it, perhaps they go
back on their religion.

003.090
YUSUFALI: But those who reject Faith after they accepted it, and
then go on adding to their defiance of Faith,- never will their
repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set
purpose) gone astray.
PICKTHAL: Lo! those who disbelieve after their (profession of)
belief, and afterward grow violent in disbelief: their repentance
will not be accepted. And such are those who are astray.
SHAKIR: Surely, those who disbelieve after their believing, then
increase in unbelief, their repentance shall not be accepted, and
these are they that go astray.

016.106
YUSUFALI: Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters
Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in
Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is
Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.
PICKTHAL: Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief - save him
who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with the
Faith - but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from
Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom.
SHAKIR: He who disbelieves in Allah after his having believed, not
he who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of
faith, but he who opens (his) breast to disbelief-- on these is
the wrath of Allah, and they shall have a grievous chastisement.

004.137
YUSUFALI: Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe
(again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in
unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide
them on the way.
PICKTHAL: Lo! those who believe, then disbelieve and then (again)
believe, then disbelieve, and then increase in disbelief, Allah
will never pardon them, nor will He guide them unto a way.
SHAKIR: Surely (as for) those who believe then disbelieve, again
believe and again disbelieve, then increase in disbelief, Allah
will not forgive them nor guide them in the (right) path.

So we can see in the above verses that Allah clearly hates the
Apostates and will never guide them again, which means that they are
clearly going to eat the out of the thorny plants and have their
skin burnt repeatedly in the hell prepared.

Sunni Hadith References

Now let us examine what the Sunni Hadiths have to say about
Apostates and their treatment.

Sahih Bukhari 9:84:57:

Narrated 'Ikrima:
Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to 'Ali and he burnt them.
The news of this event, reached Ibn 'Abbas who said, "If I had
been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Apostle
forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment
(fire).' I would have killed them according to the statement of
Allah's Apostle, 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill
him.'"

Sahih Bukhari 9:84:58:

Narrated Abu Burda:
Abu Musa said, "I came to the Prophet along with two men (from the
tribe) of Ash'ariyin, one on my right and the other on my left,
while Allah's Apostle was brushing his teeth (with a Siwak), and
both men asked him for some employment. The Prophet said, 'O Abu
Musa (O 'Abdullah bin Qais!).' I said, 'By Him Who sent you with
the Truth, these two men did not tell me what was in their hearts
and I did not feel (realize) that they were seeking employment.'
As if I were looking now at his Siwak being drawn to a corner
under his lips, and he said, 'We never (or, we do not) appoint for
our affairs anyone who seeks to be employed. But O Abu Musa! (or
'Abdullah bin Qais!) Go to Yemen.'" The Prophet then sent Mu'adh
bin Jabal after him and when Mu'adh reached him, he spread out a
cushion for him and requested him to get down (and sit on the
cushion). Behold: There was a fettered man beside Abu Muisa.
Mu'adh asked, "Who is this (man)?" Abu Muisa said, "He was a Jew
and became a Muslim and then reverted back to Judaism." Then Abu
Muisa requested Mu'adh to sit down but Mu'adh said, "I will not
sit down till he has been killed. This is the judgment of Allah
and His Apostle (for such cases) and repeated it thrice. Then Abu
Musa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed. Abu Musa
added, "Then we discussed the night prayers and one of us said, 'I
pray and sleep, and I hope that Allah will reward me for my sleep
as well as for my prayers.'"

Sahih Bukhari 9:89:271:

Narrated Abu Musa:
A man embraced Islam and then reverted back to Judaism. Mu'adh bin
Jabal came and saw the man with Abu Musa. Mu'adh asked, "What is
wrong with this (man)?" Abu Musa replied, "He embraced Islam and
then reverted back to Judaism." Mu'adh said, "I will not sit down
unless you kill him (as it is) the verdict of Allah and His
Apostle

Sahih Bukhari 9:83:17:

Narrated 'Abdullah:
Allah's Apostle said, "The blood of a Muslim who confesses that
none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His
Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for
murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse
and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the
Muslims."

According to Tafsir

More recently, Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, a noted 20th century
Islamic Scholar argued that verses 9:11 of the Quran sanctions the
death for an apostate. Mawadudi gave the following argument in
suppoet of his claim that Apostasy is a an offence punishable by
death:

"The following is the occasion for the revelation of this
verse: During the pilgrimage (hajj) in A.H. 9, God Most High
ordered a proclamation of an immunity. By virtue of this
proclamation all those who, up to that time, were fighting against
God and His Apostle and were attempting to obstruct the way of
God's religion through all kinds of excesses and false covenants,
were granted from that time a maximum respite of four months.
During this period they were to ponder their own situation. If
they wanted to accept Islam, they could accept it and they would
be forgiven. If they wanted to leave the country, they could
leave. Within this fixed period nothing would hinder them from
leaving. Thereafter those remaining, who would neither accept
Islam nor leave the country, would be dealt with by the sword." In
this connection it was said: "If they repent and uphold the
practice of prayer and almsgiving, then they are your brothers in
religion. If after this, however, they break their covenant, then
war should be waged against the leaders of kufr (infidelity). Here
"covenant breaking" in no way can be construed to mean "breaking
of political covenants". Rather, the context clearly determines
its meaning to be "confessing Islam and then renouncing it".
Thereafter the meaning of "fight the heads of disbelief" (Qur’an
9:11) can only mean that war should be waged against the leaders
instigating apostasy."

Mawadudi’s interpretation is supported by various other Muslim
scholars, let us take the example of Afzal ur-Rehman the author of
Muhammad, Blessing for Mankind, Seerah Foundation, London,
Revised Second edition, 1988, p. 218 under Apostasy states:

"People who turn away from Islam and do not repent but wage war
and create mischief in the land are also considered as murderers.
"But if they break their oaths after making compacts and taunt you
for your faith, you should fight with these ringleaders of
disbelief because their oaths are not trustworthy: it may be that
the sword alone will restrain them" 9:12). And in Surah Al-Nahl,
"But whosoever accepts disbelief willingly, he incurs God's Wrath,
and there is severe torment for all such people" (Quran 16:1067).

Punishment for Apostasy in Islam

According to Islamic law (Sharia), the consensus view is that a
male apostate must be put to death unless he suffers from a mental
disorder or converted from Islam under duress, for example, due to
an imminent danger of being killed. A female apostate must be either
executed, according to Shafi’I, Maliki and Hanbali schools of Sunni
Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), or imprisoned until she reverts to
Islam as advocated by the Sunni Hanafi School and by Shi’a scholars.

Preferred form of execution

Most Islamic scholars agree that the appropriate punishment for
apostasy is beheading Mamuluk Sultan Bayars also practiced torture
of apostates. A case is recorded when a woman who had
apostatized was led through the streets of Cairo on an ass, then
strangled in a boat in the middle of the Nile and thrown into the
river. In modern times, followers of the Ahmadiyya sect in
Afghanistan were stoned to death. The execution for apostasy was
abolished in most Muslim lands in the 19th century either through
European pressure or through the direct European rule; however,
cases of imprisonment and deportation of apostates still occurred.
Nevertheless, even nowadays apostates are not sure of their lives,
as their Muslim relatives frequently try to kill them Ideally, the
one performing the execution of an apostate must be an imam. At the
same time, all schools of Islamic jurisprudence agree that any
Muslim can kill an apostate without punishment.

Apostasy is itself is a huge topic of study in Islam, to discuss
all the issues that concern Apostasy are beyond the scope of this
article, hence I will close down my article here and let the readers
make up their minds as what Islam actually says about Apostasy and
how the Apologetics of Islam lie, telling us that Apostasy is not an
offence in Islam.